Hydraulic air-compressor



2 SheetsSheet 1. W. A. B-ABGOOK. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

Pgtented Oct. 23, 1883.

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

W. A. BABOOGK.

HYDRAULIC AIR commssom No. 287,358. Patented Oct.- 23, 188 3.

a M 0 g i -8 j n, PETERS, Phulo-Lnlmguphun Waahingmn. 11c.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A. BABOOGK, OF SOUTH COVENTRY, GONNECTIQUT, ASSIGNOR To BISHOP 82; BABOOGK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,358, dated October 23, 1883.

Applieatioufilcd October 4, 1882.

expels the air and'compresses it into the beerbarrels. A compressor or pump of this class is shown in a former patent issued to me Feb- I 5 ruary 21, 1882, No. 253,830, in which the airvessels are mounted on the ends of a rockingbeam, whose rocking motion operates a slidevalve, which admits the water to each air vessel or cylinder alternately. My present improvements apply especially to this rockingform of pump with slide-valve; and my invention consists in certain details of construction, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 presents afront or side elevation of my improved pump, shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, also partly in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line w a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the valveplunger. Fig. 7 5 is a detached view of the airinlet or vent-valve in the top of the cylinders,

'and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the air-outlet or check-valve.

In the drawings, a a indicate the base of the pump, which, as usual, is made in the form of a shallowtray or sink, over or in which the rocking beam and cylinders of the pump are mounted, and into which the exhaust-water from the cylinders is discharged, and which flows off through an outlet, 1), which is connected to the waste-pipes.

From the base of the sink a two standards, 0, arise, in which the rocking beam t is pivoted, and on the ends of the rocking beam the air vessels or cylinders a are fixed, as usual.

My improved slide-valve is indicated by B, and is fixed to the base of the sink in front of the standards 0, in which the rocking beam is pivoted, and below the axis of the beam, as

5o fully shown in Figs. 1, 2, and. 3. The central (No model.)

port, d, of this valve is the water-induction port, which is suitably. connected by a lead or rubber tube with the water-supply pipes or mains, while the two outer ports, 6 e, are the eduction-ports, which lead from the valve to each cylinder at, being connectedwith the base I of each cylinder by the flexible tubes f f, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2.

The top of each air-cylinder is provided with an air-inlet or vent-valve. g g, of wellknown construction, (shown best in Figs. 1 and 5,) which consists of aperforated metal plug or nipple, g, screwed or soldered in the top of the cylinder, with aslit or collapsible rubber tube, 9', projecting therefrom into the cylinder. Each cylinder is also provided, at the top, with an air-outlet or check-valve, h, of collapsible form, such as shown in the patent to Thomas of December 10, 1878, No. 210,821, which valves open into little domes 71/ on the top of the cylinders. The domes h are con"- nected by the pipe i, which pipe is provided with a nipple, k, to which a rubber tube may be connected, to convey the compressed air to the beer-barrels or'other destination.

Now, by referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,it will be readily noted that my present valve is of a very simple and advantageous kind for the purpose of this air-compressor, as its construction is such that the water is both admitted to the cylinders and exhausted from them through the one valve, whereas in my former machine the water enters the cylinders only through the inlet-valve, and is exhausted from the cylinders through a separate outlet-valve in the bottom of the cylinders. This valve consists of a. simple tubular casing or cylinder, Z, preferably placed in a horizontal position on two small pedestals, m m, which rise from a baseplate, a, which is screwed to the base of the sink a. The bore of'the cylinder Z is fitted with a plunger, 0, which is formed with two cup-leather piston-heads, 0, which are placed at a distance apart, and which are cupped in opposite directions, as shown best in Fig. 4, the cup-leathers making an easy water-tight fit in the cylinder Z, as will be understood from Fig. 2. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the water-inlet port d opens directly on the side of the cylinder, at the: middle, between the pis- 100 tons 0, and as the cup-leathers of these little pistons openin opposite directions the waterpressure tends to expand each cup, and thus make a perfect water-tight fit in the cylinders. At the same time the water-pressure on the valve-plunger will be balanced, as it is exerted equally in opposite directions 011 the cups 0. I

The valve-plunger may be moved back and forth in the cylind er with great ease, as it is not resisted by the water-pressure, and the friction of a cup-leatheris almost nothing. At the same time it is very tight, and thus forms a simple and efiicient form of hydraulic valve. The outlet-ports e e of the valve, which conn'ect with the cylinders, spring laterally from the top of the pedestals m m, which support the valve-cylinder, and these pedestals are made hollow around the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the outlet-ports c 0 thus pass around or encircle the cylinder and connect with its interior by a circumferential row of perforations through the cylinder as illustrated. The perforations in, being thus extended around the circumference of the cylinder, admit the wateron all sides of the plunger, and thus render its pressure thereon more even, and render the passage for the water aslarge and free as possible, as will be understood. Now, the ports 6 e and the two rows of perforations through the cylinder are placed, as shown in Fig. 2, at a distance apart about equal to the distance between the cup-,

leathers of the valve-plunger, and each end of the valve-cylinder, is open freely to discharge into the sink (1; hence when the plunger is shifted to and fro in the valve-cylinder. the cup-pistons 0 will uncover the outlet-ports e e in alternate order, the port leading to the air-vessel on the high end of the beam being always uncoveredinternally, to communicate with the water-inlet d, while the port leading to the air-vessel u 011 the low end of the beam is always uncovered externally, to communicate with the open end of the cylinder, as fully shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is therefore obvious thatthe water under pressure will flow into the air-vessel on the raised end of the beam, and. thus compress and expel the 'air therefrom in the usual way, while the spent water in the depressed air-vessel will at the same time flow out through the, opposite and open end of the valve-cylinder and discharge into the sink a, as fully illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. \Vhen the beam, with its air-vessels, is tipped in the opposite direction, the valveplunger will be shifted in the opposite direction, which will of course reverse the flow, as wilLbe understood, so that the water under pressure will always flow into the vessel on the high end and flow out of the vessel on thelow end.

The valve-plunger is rigidly connected with the operating-sten1p,which is guided parallel therewith in guiding-lugs on the side of the valve-cylinder,and on the middle of the valve stem a projecting knob, r, is fixed, which is engaged by an overhanging forked arm, 8, which projects out from the center of the beam over the axis thereof, and thence curves downwardly, to straddle the knob r of the valvestem, as fully shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. will therefore be understood that as the airreservoirs are alternately filled with water the beam will rock one way or the other, and at each rock of the beam the forked arm 8 will shift the valve-plunger, so as to reverse the action of the valve, and thus keep up the pumping action of the device. Sufficient play exists between the prongs of the forked arm 8 and the knob 0 so that the valve is not shifted until near the end of the rocking motion of the beam, when it takes place quickly and forcibly from the acquired momentum of the beam and its weighted cylinder.

The valve shown is of course double actingthat is, it controls the flow of the water to and from two receivers in alternate order-and when a single-acting valve is desired 'to con trol the flow to one vessel only, then one of the outlet-ports e e and its adjuncts may be omitted, as will be readily understood.

It may be noted that in my present invention the valve is fixed on the base of the pump near the axis of the beam, and is operated by a swaying fork or arm projecting from the centerof the rocking beam,whereas in my former patent, above referred, to the valve was fixed on the center of the beam and operated by on .gagement with a fixed fork rising from the general construction shown in said patent, I

consider the arrangement last mentioned preferable in that case; but with the present form of valve, which enables the separate water outlet-valves in the.air-vessels to be dispensed with, I prefer the present arrangement first described,as it is very simple and direct, and well adapted for this form of valve, for as this valve discharges the exhaust at each end of its casing it is desirable to have it detached from the beam and fixed near the base of the sink. I do not, however, confine the present arrangement to this special kind of valve, as this arrangement forms one feature of my present invention, and possesses advantages of simplicity and directness which will apply also i l with some other forms of valves.

Instead of having the end of the swaying or operating arm 8 forked to engage the knob r, the knob may be forked and the arm may have a single prong to engage between the prongs of the knob, if preferred; or any equivalent engagement between the arm and the valve-stem may be employed.

Such novel features as I may have shown, but not claimed in this application, I reserve for the subject-matter of a future application, particularly the form of valve herein illustrated.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination,in ahydraulicair-pump,

substantially as set forth,with a rocking beam and liquid-receivers mounted 011 each end thereof, provided with suitable air inlets and outlets, of a hydraulic valve arranged to control the flow of liquid alternately to the re ceivers, said valve being fixed separately from the beam and receivers, andfiexible pipes connecting the valve with the receivers, and a swaying arm projecting from the beam and engaging the stem of the valve,with an idle play in .its engagement, whereby the arm acquires a momentum before it acts to shift the valve at the end of each rocking movement thereof, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a hydraulic air-pump, the combination, with a supporting sink or tray, a, of two receivers, u a, mounted therein and provided with suitable inlets and'outlets at the top, and the double-acting inlet and exhaust valve B, having the plunger 0 0 0'7 and ports 6 d 6, arranged and operating as described, and the cylinder on, open at each end and discharging into the said tray, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

YVILLIAM A. BABOOCK; YVitnesses:

K. D. BISHOP, S. L. ALLEN. 

